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Quotes

Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made.

—Immanuel Kant, 1784

All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.

—Al Smith, 1933

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on the support of Paul.

—George Bernard Shaw, 1944

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure it is right.

—Judge Learned Hand, 1944

The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his subjects.

—Laozi

Television has made dictatorship impossible, but democracy unbearable.

—Shimon Peres, 1995

Do that which consists in taking no action, and order will prevail.

—Laozi, c. 500 BC

I shall be an autocrat: that’s my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that’s his.

—Catherine the Great, c. 1796

Why has the government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.

—Alexander Hamilton, 1787

The vice presidency isn’t worth a pitcher of warm piss.

—John Nance Garner, c. 1967

O citizens, first acquire wealth; you can practice virtue afterward.

—Horace, c. 8 BC

A real leader is somebody who can help us overcome the limitations of our own individual laziness and selfishness and weakness and fear and get us to do better, harder things than we can get ourselves to do on our own.

—David Foster Wallace, 2000

I am no courtesan, nor moderator, nor tribune, nor defender of the people: I am myself the people.

—Maximilien Robespierre, 1792